Mike Gillert and Jimmy Leatherwood
Guatemala Country Coordinators
The year of 2022 started off with governmental closures of the borders to Belize and Guatemala. We had a substantial amount of equipment and materials spread between Punta Gorda, Belize (PB), Sarstoon, Guatemala, and Puerta Barrios, Guatemala (PB). After completing 50 wells in the southern district of Toledo in Belize, it has become very clear to us that God is leading us to move our base of operation in Central America to Guatemala. We have been given a trailer-mounted drilling rig in Guatemala by Refuge International. It was in fair condition but needed quite a bit of repair and maintenance. We had stored it in Livingston, Guatemala which is accessible only by boat, not a good thing for a trailer-mounted rig.
In June we journeyed to Livingston to meet with government officials and look at potential drilling sites. We also met and traveled with two officers of the Guatemala Baptist Union (GBU). They suggested we look in the area which is up the Rio Dulce, a major waterway with its mouth near Livingston. The GBU has started several churches in that area and they all need a clean dependable source of water. We have been praying for a partner to help establish ministries in the area where we will be drilling. It’s not just about punching holes in the ground. The GBU introduced us to a church in Morales, Guatemala, and its pastor and deacon. They were very excited to partner with us and offered a secure place to store our equipment and our van. This church is on the only road in Guatemala that goes from PB to Guatemala City. This works for a trailer-mounted rig. Within 30 minutes of this church, we located the community of San Francisco. They are one of the churches started by GBU and it is in great need for a clean source of water. They are currently pumping water from a nearby river. So our first target well was set if we can get our rig on the road.
On this same trip, we went to see our drilling rig that we left in Livingston. To our surprise, it was gone. We thought the worst. But when we met with the man whose shop had been where we left it, we were in for another surprise. He had, at his own expense, barged the rig to PB to a friend’s repair shop for safekeeping. He was concerned with leaving it out just off the street for the two years in which we had not been able to return. When we traveled to PB we found the rig in a locked compound in the shop of a man who could repair and perform the needed maintenance on the rig that we required. Plus, the rig is accessible to the road to Morales and San Francisco. Our plans seldom work but God’s plans always work. We just have to trust Him.
In September we returned to gather and move our equipment from PG, Sarsstoon, and PB to our new base in Morales. It took two days of sorting and packing in PG plus two boats to transfer all of our equipment to PB. It took a full day and two boats to transfer our equipment from Sarstoojn to PB. And it took a large box truck to transport all of it to Morales. The van which we have kept in PG had to be driven 12 hours North through Belize to the border with Guatemala and back down South in Guatemala to PB. There we spent three days and several thousand dollars to get it registered and legal to keep in Guatemala. The drilling rig has been completely refurbished and is ready to be moved to Morales.
Our plan is to go back with a small crew to drill the first well with the rig in San Francisco. With such a busy year-end approaching, we have set our goal to go in January and after that follow God’s eldership to the next drill site. We will then be looking for teams to join us in these adventures. With the support of faithful donors, we hope to complete eight new wells early in 2023. God has certainly blessed our work and provided a few surprises along the way. The future looks good from here.
We are working to establish our Guatemala WaSH Zone. This Christmas, you can help Hope Springs Water Gear Up in Guatemala! Funds will be used to complete our first 8 wells during the 2023 drilling season.
The Goal is $60,000.
